


New Life

by nebulera



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Surprisingly healthy relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:48:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24313798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nebulera/pseuds/nebulera
Summary: Maul is injured, and Rex isn't having it.
Relationships: Darth Maul/CT-7567 | Rex
Comments: 29
Kudos: 96





	New Life

Maul wakes at the feel of a kick to his leg, along with: “Wake up, sunshine.”

He smirks at the term of endearment before even opening his eyes, finding himself eye-level with a curious and impatient brown-eyed captain squatting across from him.

Rex looks off at something to the side and back at Maul. “I see someone had a rough night.”

 _Oh, right._ Maul looks to the side and regards the dead Inquisitor only briefly. Their battle was longer than Maul anticipated, but he’d put the nameless body down regardless. He’d sensed the Force-user when he and Rex headed into town; putting his hand on his shoulder, he said “Take your time. I’ll see you back at the ship,” and then he’d walked into the open land and let the Inquisitor follow him to their death.

Rex scans his face. “You, too. I hope you had a nice nap.”

Maul scoffs. “I was not napping,” he lies. “I was meditating.”

Rex laughs. “Uh-huh. But we could both use one.” He stands and holds out a hand to Maul, who is still sitting against a rock.

One of Maul’s hands is pressed against his injured side that he’s kept hidden from the captain, so he take’s Rex’s with the other. He tries, unsuccessfully, to hide his wince upon standing.

“You’re injured,” Rex says, all the humor gone from his face. He pries Maul’s hand away from his side to find it scorched with hints of dry blood. “Fool. You should have comm’d me, I’d have been here sooner. Can you walk?”

Maul represses the urge to roll his eyes. He _could_ walk, but it does hurt enough that it forces a limp. The captain isn’t having it. He curves around Maul to wrap his arm over his shoulders and press his good side against him. “Lean on me.”

Maul goes with it, if only to hurry along their predicament and please the captain. “The ship is not far.”

“For your sake, it better not be.”

“Oh, for— relax, it’s only a minor injury.”

“I am relaxed,” Rex says, as they begin their walk. “I’m surprised you are. That’s the second one this month.”

Maul ponders it. It’s true, the Inquisitors appear to be growing steadily in numbers and gaining more ground. But just because there are more of them does not make them more powerful. They’ve yet to kill Maul, and he believes they never will. But he doesn’t desire to stay in their trajectory for much longer, especially with the captain at his side.

“We ought to leave this planet, soon.”

“That’s the plan, once I patch you up.”

Maul grunts, but does not argue. Like Hell he’ll let Rex anywhere near him with bacta and the like. Sometimes, he has to force himself to remember who Rex was around almost every day during the war. Then, he’ll gently remind the captain of who he isn’t.

Their arrangement would be strange to most. It’s strange even to himself. Chance brought them together months after the Empire had risen and Crimson Dawn dissolved. They’d met again at the center of a dying town being taken alive by Imperials; at the time, killing each other was not advantageous for either of them, and they instead chose to reluctantly work together. And upon realizing the captain could deal his way out of most situations due to Imperials using old Republic access and entry codes (because the Empire was filled with high-handing morons), Maul figured he could use him as a pawn for his goals more than anything. It came to his attention that Rex viewed him the very same way, and an understanding came between them.

Together, they look for Rex’s brothers. Wherever Rex goes, Maul goes, and Inquisitors follow. Just how Maul expects. He takes out what anger he has towards his master on them, relishing in whatever inconvenience he is causing his apprentice. Or, that’s what he aimed for in the beginning. Now, he doesn’t believe killing them at the possible cost of the captain winding up in the middle is worth the trouble anymore. _Just leave him,_ part of him whispers. Strange how he doesn’t listen.

When they arrive at the ship, Rex takes him to his cabin instead of Maul’s. “Sit,” he orders. He then searches one of the far cabinets for a med pack.

“Enough,” Maul says. “Go start the ship, I can sleep this off.”

Rex comes back with an unusual weary look. “Shut up. I swear you’re worse than the _Jettise._ Take off your shirt.”

Maul shakes his head.

Rex squats by the bed. “Look, I’d leave you alone if I knew you could heal yourself, but since you can’t, you better just let me do this.”

Maul mentally scolds his past self going on about how Sith don’t heal, how pain grounds and strengthens them. “I should have never told you that.”

“I should have never run into you at all. One more stubborn di’kut is not what I need for my health. Take off your shirt.”

“No.”

Rex’s eyes flare. “Maul—”

“Captain.”

Rex looks at him with a hint of fight in his eye, soft hazel gleaming at him. _Yes, I love a challenge._ He’s absolutely ready for the captain to pounce on him and wrestle until his arms hurt. Maybe then he’d give in. With a half-grin and shake of a head, Rex says, “You’re insufferable,” and leans up to kiss him.

It’s brief, and Maul barely has any time to react because he’s _frozen solid_ before Rex pulls away and actually does pounce on him and press his arms into the bed. 

“Got you,” Rex says, smiling. “Now let me patch you up. You’re no use to me dead.”

Maul recognizes the jest and feels something rearrange in his chest. Maul had never been kissed, never been intimate with anyone before. He’d certainly never been in love, but even as shocking as it was, Rex’s lips against his was a comfortable feeling. He hadn’t thought about it prior, but perhaps he should have seen the signs: Rex always staying close to him and vice versa, as well as a strange desire he had to protect the captain. They’ve been in this so-called partnership for a few years, and he would say they became friends despite their history. Maul was not one for sympathy, and his past could not be forgiven, but he never expected that of the captain. Nor did Rex ever expect Maul to be like the Jedi he was once surrounded by.

A few months ago, Rex had given Maul one of his blue and white vambraces. Maul had taken and worn it without thinking of the implications of such an act. Perhaps he should have. He feels where the vambrace and Rex’s hold make contact.

Maul swallows. “One condition,” he says. Rex cocks his head, his eyes scanning Maul’s face with heavy lids. “You do that again.” 

Rex’s smile grows. When he leans down, Maul meets his kiss half-way.

Much later, when they’ve taken off into hyperspace, Maul keeping watch while Rex sleeps in the back, he brings his fingers up to ghost against his lips and then down to the white and blue plastoid that hugs his arm. He holds it with care and thinks of the captain.

**Author's Note:**

> testing the waters with this one
> 
> yay or nay


End file.
